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Aromatase inhibitors impact sex life of postmenopausal women with breast cancer

Women treated for breast cancer after menopause with aromatase inhibitors have very high levels of sexual difficulties, including low interest, insufficient lubrication, and pain with intercourse. It is an important and underestimated problem, say the authors of a study published online in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society.

25 Sep 2012

Paced breathing may reduce hot flashes in women

Regular, daily practice of calm or paced breathing may ease hot flashes, shows a new study published online in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society.

25 Sep 2012

Study reveals potential of NIR spectral imaging for intra-operative skin flap assessment

In 2010 breast reconstruction entered the Top Five list of reconstructive procedures in the US, with 93,000 procedures performed, up 8% from 2009, and 18% from 2000. This is among the most common skin flap procedure performed.

24 Sep 2012

More money, focus needed to reach maternal, child health MDGs

Though the global community has "made incredible inroads" on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), "the majority of developing countries are still expected to fall short of the MDG targets for reducing maternal and child mortality by 2015," Carole Presern, director of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH), writes in the Huffington Post's "Global Motherhood" blog.

24 Sep 2012

PTEN inhibitor can trigger growth of small eggs

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have discovered that a chemical can trigger the maturation of small eggs to healthy, mature eggs, a process that could give more women the chance of successful IVF treatment in the future. The results have been published in the revered journal PloS ONE.

24 Sep 2012

Simple survey can effectively identify women with ovarian cancer symptoms

A simple three-question paper-and-pencil survey, given to women in the doctor's office in less than two minutes, can effectively identify those who are experiencing symptoms that may indicate ovarian cancer, according to a study by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

24 Sep 2012

Most basal-like breast and ovarian tumors have similar genetic origins

The most comprehensive analysis yet of breast cancer shows that one of the most deadly subtypes is genetically more similar to ovarian tumors than to other breast cancers.

24 Sep 2012

Study documents women's experiences after abnormal prenatal chromosomal microarray testing

We often hear that "knowledge is power." But, that isn't always the case, especially when the knowledge pertains to the health of an unborn child, with murky implications, at best. A new study, led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, begins to document this exception to the general rule.

24 Sep 2012

Harris Health System campaign aims to reduce pregnancy-related complications in African-Americans

African-American women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications and about twice as likely to suffer a miscarriage than other ethnic groups in Harris County. The alarming facts prompted Harris Health System to launch an educational campaign aimed at African-American women before they get pregnant on the steps to have a safe and healthy birth.

24 Sep 2012

Study looks at effect of all dietary antioxidants in relation to myocardial infarction

Coronary heart disease is a major cause of death in women. A new study has found that a diet rich in antioxidants, mainly from fruits and vegetables, can significantly reduce the risk of myocardial infarction.

24 Sep 2012

California expands access to birth control, abortion

News organizations covered Gov. Jerry Brown's Saturday visit to a Planned Parenthood center, where he signed several bills allowing nurses to dispense birth control and perform some abortions.

24 Sep 2012

Maternal choline intake could essentially change fetal genetic expression into adulthood

Just as women are advised to get plenty of folic acid around the time of conception and throughout early pregnancy, new research suggests another very similar nutrient may one day deserve a spot on the obstetrician's list of recommendations.

24 Sep 2012

Medicare, health reform, women's issues hot topics on campaign trail

With the election a little more than six weeks away, news coverage included the role of health care in the outcome.

24 Sep 2012

What moms eat before pregnancy affects children epigenetically

Everyone knows that what mom eats when pregnant makes a huge difference in the health of her child. Now, new research in mice suggests that what she ate before pregnancy might be important too. According to a new research report published online in The FASEB Journal, what a group of female mice ate-before pregnancy-chemically altered their DNA and these changes were passed to her offspring. These DNA alterations, called "epigenetic" changes, drastically affected the pups' metabolism of many essential fatty acids.

21 Sep 2012

UAB urges women to get tested for key measures throughout their lives

Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the leading causes of death in women of all ages in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To get ahead of these chronic health issues and possibly prevent them from worsening, experts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham urge women to get tested for key measures throughout their lives.

21 Sep 2012

Free bus passes for over-60’s could encourage physical activity

Free bus passes for over-60s may be encouraging older people to be more physically active, say the authors of a study published today in the American Journal of Public Health.

21 Sep 2012

Exposures to perchlorate could reduce thyroidal iodine uptake in women and fetuses

Exposures to perchlorate (ClO4), a compound found at low levels in the environment, and thiocyanate (SCN), a compound found in cigarette smoke and some foods, is unlikely to alter thyroid function in pregnant women and fetuses, according to new data presented at the 82nd Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association (ATA) in Québec City, Québec, Canada.

21 Sep 2012

Presidential campaigns vie for specific voting blocs

The New York Times reports that young adults are up for grabs in several key states. Meanwhile, both candidates are courting Hispanics. The Washington Post reports that President Barack Obama is hoping women voters give him the edge in Virginia.

21 Sep 2012

Strand Life Sciences to validate and commercialize Trovagene's urine-based HPV test

Trovagene, Inc. and Strand Life Sciences Pvt Ltd., of Bangalore, India, completed their agreement to validate and commercialize Trovagene's proprietary urine-based Human Papillomavirus (HPV) test for clinical diagnostic and carrier screening use.

21 Sep 2012

Challenges, solutions to sexual health education in South Africa

"South Africa faces significant challenges when it comes to sexual health, and with the high prevalence of rape, teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases and infections, schools need to implement strong and informative programs on sexuality and contraceptive use," Jos Dirkx, founder of Girls & Football SA, writes in this post in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog.

20 Sep 2012